Choose Gothic II: Gold Edition
Choose Gothic II: Gold Edition if you want an Action experience. On Steam, it carries the stronger Steam consensus at 87.6% positive across 2,456 reviews.
Gothic II: Gold Edition vs Risen 2: Dark Waters
Gothic II: Gold Edition and Risen 2: Dark Waters both land in RPG on Steam, which is why they keep getting compared. The comparison below is built from each game's Steam metadata — release year, genres, categories, Steam Deck status, price, and review score — refreshed daily by imho.run's scraper. Headline differences: Both are RPG games on Steam. Gothic II: Gold Edition (2005) is 7 years older than Risen 2: Dark Waters (2012). Gothic II: Gold Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (87.6% positive) than Risen 2: Dark Waters (75.5% positive). No login or purchase needed — scroll for the full table, the verdict FAQ, and links to ranked similar games for both titles.
Which should you pick?
Choose Risen 2: Dark Waters
Choose Risen 2: Dark Waters if it's currently about 50% cheaper on the Steam Store. 1,015 Steam reviews back the pick.
Both Gothic II: Gold Edition and Risen 2: Dark Waters sit in RPG on Steam, so either pick lands in the same broad neighborhood. Use the side-by-side table for the feature view, or follow the "Games like" links below to see ranked alternatives for either title.
Side-by-side comparison
 Gothic II: Gold Edition |  Risen 2: Dark Waters | |
|---|---|---|
| Released | 2005 | 2012 |
| Genres | Action, RPG | RPG |
| Platforms | Windows | Windows |
| Steam Deck | Deck Unsupported | Deck Playable |
| Price | 19.99 USD | 9.99 USD |
| Steam reviews | 87.6% positive (2,456 reviews) | 75.5% positive (1,015 reviews) |
| Multiplayer | Single-player only | Single-player only |
| Developers | Piranha Bytes | Piranha Bytes |
Side by side
- Both are RPG games on Steam.
- Gothic II: Gold Edition (2005) is 7 years older than Risen 2: Dark Waters (2012).
- Gothic II: Gold Edition scores higher on Steam reviews (87.6% positive) than Risen 2: Dark Waters (75.5% positive).
- Risen 2: Dark Waters is currently ~50% cheaper on Steam than Gothic II: Gold Edition (9.99 USD vs. 19.99 USD).
- Steam Deck: Gothic II: Gold Edition is Deck Unsupported, Risen 2: Dark Waters is Deck Playable.
Gothic II: Gold Edition vs Risen 2: Dark Waters — FAQ
- Which is better, Gothic II: Gold Edition or Risen 2: Dark Waters?
- On Steam reviews Gothic II: Gold Edition scores higher (87.6% positive) than Risen 2: Dark Waters (75.5% positive). Both have enough reviews to trust the signal, so for players using reviews alone, Gothic II: Gold Edition is the safer pick. Genre fit still matters — check the side-by-side table for the categories each game lands in.
- Should I play Gothic II: Gold Edition or Risen 2: Dark Waters first?
- If you want chronology, Gothic II: Gold Edition (2005) came out before Risen 2: Dark Waters (2012). If neither is a sequel to the other, order doesn't really matter — start with whichever fits your current mood, since both share enough on Steam to make either a reasonable opener.
- Are Gothic II: Gold Edition and Risen 2: Dark Waters similar?
- They overlap on RPG on Steam, so the catalogue groups them together — but "similar" depends on the specific mechanics. Use the genre + category rows above to decide whether the overlap matches what drew you to the one you've already played.